Google officially launches Flights, their Search-friendly travel tool

As the travel booking game tightens up via acquisitions, Google is set to muscle their way in. Though Expedia and Travelocity are toeing the line, Google is also ready to get involved with Google Flights, a new Search item that finds you the best deal on your travel. Flights works as you might expect, too: put in your departure city, an arrival destination, and Flights will find you the best deal. Flights is also neat because you don't even need to know where you're headed.

According to Google, over half of us want to go somewhere, we just don't know where. We sit down to plan a vacation, but aren't even sure where we want to go. As you might imagine, cost plays a big role in the decision, so finding great deals on travel becomes important.

A 'great deal' doesn't mean the cheapest flight, though. Sometimes, it's the right flight at a good price, where you're not subject to unnecessary or long layovers.

Sure enough, in a simple search for 'Flights', I was met with a few options without ever entering a destination. According to Google, I'd probably want to go to New York or Vancouver, Canada.

Breaking it out a step further, I went to the dedicated Google Flights page, and entered dates I'd like to travel (this weekend). It suggested several places I could go, and even allows for more granular search where you can limit the number of layovers, or find a trip that fits a price range.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work with any airline just yet, so if you've got loyalty points your squirreling away — you might not be able to earn more with Flights. Still, for the quick getaway or open-ended vacation, Flights is at least another tool to have handy.

Source: Google